Process and apparatus tor distilling fuel oil or gas oil



Aug. 25,1925.

, L.. P..l rrz.1NGER ET AL PROCESISAND -APPARTS FOR DISTILLING FUEL OIL OR G AS OIL 2 Sheets-Sheet -1' Filed may 2, 1921 'sedi-ment Wgwdgzfasa Aug.v 25, 1925.

v l .1,551,410 L. P.`L|TZ|NGER ET AL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING FUEL oIL'oa G'A-s oIL Filed May`2, 1921 2lSheets-Sheet 2 ammo@ ZLBLZZ'M A www www-QM i Patented Aug. 4P9125.

y "UNITED,

STATESPATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS P.`L1'rzI'NGER AND PETER F. .ioiqER'jrY, or BUTLER, AND WILLiAMv sNonGRAss, n oF BRUIN, PENN simwiiiia` i' -PRocEss AND APrARe'rUs FOR DISTILIIING FUEL oILoR Gas ofL.

, appuation mea may 2,

To aZZf/whom t may concern." Be it known that we, Lnwis 'and PETER F. CONERTY, both fof- Butler,

county SNoDcRAss, of Bruin, in the county of Butthe United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes] still subjected to .the greatest temperature and Apparatus for Distill'mg Fuel Oil o r Gas Oil, of which the following is a specification. 1 This invention relates to, a process and apparatus-for distilling by means commonlyknown as cracking, under pressure in excess of atmospheric, the hydro-carbons or petroleum residues of the higher boiling points commonly termed fuel oils or gas oils.

'lhe invention provides aprocess and ap-v ".paratus wherein-'the distillationis affected by means commonly known 'as cracking, .un-

der pressure in excess of atmospheric, of the `h drocarbonsor petroleum residues of the higher boilingpoints to increase the yield of '25 the lower boiling point oils, wherein the process is carried on ,with relatiye safety, facility, and with a relative high yield of the `light oils:`

an apparatus of simplev construction and j mode of operation.

It has heretofore the process of distilling hydro-carbons or petroleum resi t of the higher boiling points thereis a se aration of carbon from the oil, and that t is carbon, or settling, together with other,sol ids or foreign Inatterin the oil, formed an;

adherent deposit on vthe inside bottom of g' the still, which deposit acted as an insulateiringl coating on the inside bottom of the still. lThis coating necessitated the v1.133'V 05p higher temperatures iny the furnacein'orrder to transmit the required amount of'heat to the oil in the still, consequently necessi# tatiiigadditionalv fuel 'and danger v'due to overheating and 'burning' 'offparts of the still in that portion where deposit orv coat-- ing has been formed, makin it'necessary to draw the fires Vandleavee inthestill a large portion ofthe charge whicl-nby the use of this apparatus, can Jbetal'ren 0H in volatile matterin substantially larger quan-- tities.

It has-heretofore been proposed to overlcome the foregoing disadvantages by scrapof Butler, -State of Pennsylvania, 5 citizens'of the United States, and WILLIAM- The invention further provides T-he apparatus' will" be first been. observed that 192i. serial No. 465,996.

operation.

lAccording to 4the. present invention the objectionable features of the'distillation are avoided ina more rational way, by producing such a circulation in the still that the deposit of carbonis 'greatly retarded and diminished, particularly onthat part of the from furnace gases, and 'further'l while carrying out the process sthat the deposit does notl occur on the hotter parts of the still, it. may be so conducted that VAthe carpart'of the still where the heat from thev furnace gases is less intensive ,and there collected. l l

i An embodiment of the apparatus accord- -ing to the-` present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a ongitudinal sectionalview of, said embodiment, and' Figures 2 and 3 are cross-sectionalviews onthe lines 2 2 and 3-'3 respectively'Figurel 1.

Figures 4, 5v and 6 are detail views ofthe blades'sho'wnin Figures l and 2.

Numeral 10 designates 'a still, preferably'of elongated c lindrical, form and adapted to be used orizontal or substantially hori-` zontal position andjheated by either coal,

oil orjother fuel in such manner that there 'is a part A 'subjected to .hotter gases than p another part, or part B thereof, subjected to gases of'lesser temperature as is.l moreover the usual conditi-on in furnaces of oil stills.

Thestill may .be charged through one of thev 'manholes (12) and the -distilledf'vapors may ass off rom the 'still -throughthe vapor ,I outlet (14) Means- (20) 'are providedzfor producing lavigorous circulation inthe still. 'Ihe circulating means (20) isc'onveniently in the forni of afhoiizontal 4shaft (22) having blades '(24)v thereon, the sha'ft running lengthwise substantially throughout the entire length .ofthe still, near the bottom, and

'well below the'v normal liquid level thereof,

as shown. l The shaft isconveniently supported by hangers (26) attached to the inner walls of the still. The' shaft (22) is conveniently rotated or' revolved by means of -a drive shaft (80) passing into the still described through a stuiiing box (32), and connected to shaft (22) by means of bevel gears and 36) and said vertical shaft being guided and held plumb at its lower end by guide shoulders or collars (23) on'said horizontal shaft, and said vertical shaft being guided and held in vertical position by shoulders 'or collars (31 and 33).

' The blades (24) are conveniently in the form of plates of metal bent'outwa-rdly along a ldiagonal line, as indicated-at (40),Figure l5, and the shaftis conveniently provided with flats (42) to which the blades (24) are attached (see Figure 4).

The blades (24) being of uniform lengths may or may not be of the same widths while those at or near the respective ends. of the shaft, as indicated at 45 and 46, may preferably be of somewhat lesser Widths.'

Conveniently in the part B of the still (l0) -Where the heat from the furnace gases is less intensive, it may be provided with avdead space and the end of the shaftI (22) nearest the dead space may be provided with paddles adapted to churn the carbon accumulation as thus 'conveyed to the so-called dead space andV to hold it in that point insuspension in `the still con` tent. `These paddles (55).may be flat and perforated,-as indicated at 57, see detail Figure. 6. The carbon accumulation held in suspension in the dead space 50 may be drawn off at the termination of the still run through the pumping out pipe (59).

The speed of rotation of the shaft (22) in4 order to obtain theproper rapidity of circulation will depend ysomewhat on the l character ofthe oil being distilled and also upon the size and form of the still, and size and pitch of blades (24).

Promesa-ln the process known as cracking,"and as Ordinar-ily employed, there is a liberation of free ycarbon which, together with other solids in the oil, precipitates and incrstates on the inside still bottom, particularly on the portion where the heat from the furnace gases is most intensive; and to overcome such precipitation and incrustation', this process, as shown by device 2O and particularly indicated rby the arrows in Figlure l, creates an increased circulation of the liquid within and beyond the zone of the circulating or propelling apparatus,'thereby- 'volatile matter from a given quantity of petroleumv residue or fuel oil during the process known as cracking by means of retarding and minimizing the volume of precipi-A tation and incrustation which ordinarily more rapidly forms on inside bottom of the still where the heat from the` furnace gases is most intense causinga burning of the still bottom and necessitating the drawing of thel L fires and leaving inthe still a large portion of the charge which, by means of this apparatus, can be. taken ofi' in volatile matter in substantially larger quantities.

The apparatus may receive other embodiments than that herein specifically illust-rated and described and V-the process may be carried out in other particular modes than that specifically described.

What is claimed is- 1. A method of distilling by means commonly known as cracking, under pressure in excess of atmospheric, the hydro-carbons or petroleum residues, and particularly of the higher boiling points, commonly termed -fuel oil or gas oil, comprising producing a forced circulation of the oil in the bottoni of the still toward one end, whereby the maximum accumulation or collection of carbon and other solids is produced at one end and precipitation and incrustation thereof on the inside bottom of the still at other than the end portion (Where the heat from the furnace gases is most intense) are retarded and minimized, and conveying the carbon of the still and there positively retarding the en'dwise circulation whereby they may be collected as a sediment at the termination of the still run.

2. A method of distilling by means commonly known as cracking, under pressure in excess of atmospheric, the hydrocarbons or petroleum residues, and particularly of the higherboiling points, comprising producing lll() -and other solids to a-dead space at said end a forced circulation of the oil towards a cool part of the still and there agitating the oil to prevent carbon deposition at said cool part, and effecting a separation of carbon particles in the oil at said cool part.

3. In a still for oil, means for producing a `forced longitudinal circulation therein whereby deposit of carbonand other solids on the inside bottom of the still is retarded and minimized, said means comprising a shaft running longitudinally of the still and said still being in the form of an elongated cylinder, having a dead space wherein suspended particles in the oil are ada ted to collect, and blades on said shaft, sai bla/des Ahaving no pitch at apoint in the dead space in said still.

4. In a still for oil, means for producinga forced4 longitudinal circulation therein, whereby deposit of carbon and other solids on the inside bottom of the-still (where the temperature from the furnace gases is most intense) is retarded and` minimized, and a I dead space, in`a cooler part of said still,` meansv in said .dead space .for agitating the oil thereat to prevent carbon deposition and means for 'separating carbon particles at said dead space,

f5. In a still for oil, means for` producing a forcedlongitudinal circulation therein, whereby deposit of carbon and other solids on the inside bottom of the still -(where the tempera-ture from the furnace gases is most' intense) is. retarded and minimized and a dead space-in a cooler part of vsaid still wherein said carbon land solids may collect, and means `for interrupting the longitudinal liownof said carbon and other solids at said dead space and thereby accumulating theln during the process of distillation, and thenI said still being lin the form' of an elongated cylinder, and blades on said shaft, a dead space in the cooler part of saidstill, wherein said'carbon and solids maycollect and paddles on said shaft for interrupting thegflow of said solids at said dead space and thereby collecting the'solids.

7.'In a still for oil, means for produc-v ing forced longitudinal circulation therein,

whereb vin. the process of distilling come monly excess of `atmospheric, the` deposit of car-,f `bon and other solids on the inside bottom of the still (where the heatvfrointhe furnace is most intense) is retarded and minimized by being conveyed to, andcollected in, the rear of the still where the temperature of own as cracking, under pressure m the f urnace gases is less intense, said stil-l being of elongatedcylindrical formV in subs v stantially a horizontal position, and having a dead space at one end, said vmeans'l for` producing the forced circulation comprising a horizontal shaft running lengthwisesubl stantially throu hout-the' entire length of *thev i still and exten ing to a position near the bottoni and well below the normal. liquid level thereof', hangers from the inside lWalls of the still for supporting said shaft, land 1 blades of metal firmly attached to said shaft,

certain of said blade'sbeing bentoutwardly or pitched so. as to` propel the liquid to a pointnear. the rear-of the still, and` said bladesnearthe rear of the still beingwith-v out any pitchv or curve,fmeans fon rotating said horizontal shaft comprising a vertical shaft and bevel gears connecting said shafts',

a stuffing box atthe top yof the stillfshe'll, through which said vertical shaft paws, hangers for said vertical shaft, collars on provided by collars or-shoulders on the hori- Zontal shaft, ,for theendofsaid vertica1'- shaft.

ate 'of Pennsylvania, this 28th day of Apri1,A. iii- 1921.

LnwIsP. Lrrrzmenn.

PETER F. CONERTY.' s i WILLIAM'SNODGRASS.

' said vertical shaft beariiigon, said hangrs` i and vunderside'of the still shell, and guides 

